Tourist revenues will pay for warplanes in the Dominican

The US$93.7 million loan for the eight Super Tucano combat planes the Chamber of Deputies approved yesterday will be paid from the US$20 each tourist pays upon entering the Dominican Republic, two lawmakers said Wednesday.

Ruling PLD party deputies Teodoro Reyes and Ramon Cabrera said president Leonel Fernández made that decision by decree almost two years ago and opened an account in the Reservas bank for that purpose.

They said that according to reports by Dominican Air Force chief Carlos Altuna Tezanos that account has enough funds to pay the loan installments in the first two years. Altuna met last week with PLD deputies and said Dominican Republic needs the combat aircraft.
The loan was approved despite allegations by PLD deputy Elso Segura Martinez, who said there were rumors that bribes were given in exchange for the approval.

Last year more than 3 million tourists came to the country, providing revenue estimated at more than US$60 million.